The extra training paid off. Jun’s Taijutsu considerably improved. He slowly rose in the rankings. Progressing was more difficult when you faced skilled opponents. Achieving first place seemed impossible. The battle for that spot was between Ise Huyga and Fujitaro Uchiha. The two dominated everyone else. Jun was satisfied with his progression, though. He was catching up to Yugao.

The instructors began teaching them the basic hand seals to perform Jutsus. Jun was good at it. His speed was also decent. His dexterity was so good he could make a card, a coin or a shuriken appear and disappear between his fingers. Even Yugao could not do that yet.

Jun’s parents finally met his two friends. He was surprised to learn his father knew Yugao's parents.

“You’re Inoue and Kita Uzuki’s daughter? I did a few missions with them. Your father is the best swordsman I know. You must be very talented too. Tell them Renzo says hello.” Jun’s father said to Yugao outside the Academy.

She smiled at the compliment.

“Is your dad that strong?” Jun whispered to her.

She nodded.

“He’s one of the best Kenjutsu experts in Konoha. He teaches me at home.”

“How come you never use it at the Academy?” Iruka asked.

“We’re not allowed to bring weapons other than kunais and shurikens. If I could use my sword, I would have beaten beat up Ise and Fujitaro a long time ago.”

Jun and Iruka nodded with a sneer. Ise and Fujitaro had similar personalities. They were arrogant, rigid, and extremely proud of their clans. They also despised each other and always competed for first place.

Yugao was the only person Jun knew who would use a sword. Everyone else seemed to favor kunais and shurikens. The reason was simple. They were easy to conceal and carry. It was also convenient to carry a lot of them.

Kenjutsu users were also prime targets on the battlefield. Jun learned it from the books he read. When someone appeared on the battlefield with a sword, they often became the number one target. A Kenjutsu user’s methods of attack were extremely lethal. They could cut down many enemies in an instant.

And books on Kenjutsu are sinister. Jun thought, putting the book he was reading away.

Swords and sabers had their appeal, but it wasn’t for him. His father was an expert in Ninjutsu. When Jun proved he had enough chakra and control, Renzo promised to train him in Ninjutsu. He left the Taijutsu to his mother. He confessed to Jun she was more gifted than him in that area.

The teenager wasn’t going to complain. He would learn Ninjutsu. There was something exhilarating about being able to create a fireball or a gust of wind.

At the end of the year, Jun finished sixth in his class. The final test was not difficult. There was a Taijutsu, Genjutsu, and a Ninjutsu test that covered the three basic Jutsus. There was also a written test about history and strategy.

The war was still going on. Jun had heard the nickname Konoha’s Yellow Flash in the streets. Minato Namikaze was already on the front line. Jun felt bad for the ninjas enemy who would cross his path.

He wanted to learn more about the war, but the information was rare. The Third Great War had begun shortly after the Sandaime Kazekage disappeared. Jun had not been born yet. Without its Kage, Suna had become vulnerable and had attracted the greed of neighboring countries. Other nations had also taken advantage of the growing tension to sow discord or attack their neighbors before accusing a rival of their act.

Kumo and Kiri adopted that strategy. It was difficult to determine when the war had started. After a while, these tensions and skirmishes had degenerated into huge scale battles without anyone knowing who truly initiated it. The war was turning in Konoha’s favor. According to the rumors, the Sandaime Raikage was dead. His son was the likely successor. Therefore, Kumo was starting to shift its strategy from offense to defense. Kiri and Suna were pretty much defeated. The only ones continuing to fight were Konoha and Iwa.

That year, the students of the Academy who were nine and ten years old progressed into the upper class instead of being sent to war. The graduation age was increasing. It was a good sign. Peace was near. Everyone was tense, exhausted, grieving, and angry. But the war was nearing its conclusion. For many, it was a relief. For Jun, it also meant his father would be home more often.

Renzo hadn’t forgotten the promise he made to his son. After the school year ended, he took Jun to a vacant training ground to teach him his first Jutsu. Logic and prudence would have him start with something simple like the three basic jutsus of the Academy. The Henge no Jutsu, also known as the transformation technique, allows the user to disguise as another person, animal, plant, or inanimate object. The Bunshin no Jutsu, or Clone Technique, let the ninja create one or more afterimages of his/her person. The Kawarimi no Jutsu or Body Replacement Technique switches the user with an object to avoid an attack or escape a dangerous situation.

Renzo wasn’t planning on dwelling on those techniques. The Academy already took care of that. He handed a small piece of paper to Jun.

“It’s made to react to chakra. It will let us know your elemental affinity. You just need to infuse your chakra into it. I will demonstrate.”

His father took out another paper. He circulated his chakra into it, and the paper wrinkled.

“I possess an affinity toward Raiton, the lightning element. That is why the paper wrinkled. With a Katon or the fire element, the paper will ignite and turn to ash. The Futon or wind element split the paper in two. The Doton or earth element turns the paper into dirt before crumbling away. The Suiton or water element makes the paper wet.”

“So we’re here to determine my affinity.”

“Yes. You have a 50% chance of having the same affinity as your parents. My affinity is Raiton, Suiton, and Doton, in that order. So unless you come across the Futon, your mother and I should be able to teach you some Jutsus.”

Don’t jinx it. Jun thought.

To his knowledge, the Futon was extremely rare in Konoha. Only a few shinobis were known to use the wind element. He knew of Asuma Sarutobi, Orochimaru and later Naruto Uzumaki. Asking Orochimaru for Ninjutsu lessons was out of the question.

Jun looked at the piece of paper in his hand and infuse his chakra into it. There was a brief noise, and the paper wrinkled.

“A Raiton affinity like me! That’s excellent. ” Renzo said enthusiastically.

“Hmm, what would be a good one to start with… Oh, I got it. The Electric Discharge.” His father offered.

The Electric Discharge was a basic Raiton Jutsu that acted like a taser. The user charged the electric energy in his hand, aimed it at the target, and let the lightning escape. It was a C-rank Raiton Jutsu, that was more about sending out a warning blast than a killing technique. But it had potential. It could be improved to a higher rank technique.

Jun trained all afternoon with his dad. It merely took him a few hours to master the Jutsu. His clothes suffered quite a bit, and his hair was all over the place from the lightning. His father continued to instruct him. Renzo decided to teach him D-rank and E-rank Jutsus. Jun was a bit disappointed. E-ranks techniques couldn’t sometimes be qualified as true Ninjutsu. D-rank techniques were simple Jutsus. They were usually something basic.

Renzo showed him a technique to manipulate shurikens, to increase their range and power. It was performed by using chakra threads to control them. Another Jutsu he learned was a sensory one, allowing him to increase his own sensory abilities to sense chakra around him. Jun found it very useful. The last Jutsu his dad taught him that day was the Shunshin no Jutsu, also called the Body Flicker Technique. It was a high-speed movement Jutsu. Jun was excited about that technique.

He had trouble mastering it, but that was fine. He didn’t mind. He had no pressure from a clan weighing on his shoulders asking for immediate success. He also was not a prodigy. The one who would become famous for his Shunshin was Shisui Uchiha.